


Deleted Scene

by downlookingup



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Paranormal Investigators, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-24
Updated: 2014-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-14 12:06:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2191194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/downlookingup/pseuds/downlookingup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A snippet from my Paranormal Investigators AU. <a href="http://asharastarfall.tumblr.com/post/95645803668/jaime-brienne-as-rival-paranormal-investigators">The photo set is over here</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deleted Scene

**Author's Note:**

> I've been tinkering with this idea since about December 2013. The photoset came first and the story branched out from it. I might finish it one day, after I've finished every other WiP I've got on my back burners, but I'm not making any promises. I wanted to share the photoset, though, so consider the publication of this piece a sort of copyright claim to the idea.

**Transcript of _Dark Hauntings,_ season 3, episode 10: "The Lady of Harrenhal"**

Interview with Brienne Tarth, independent paranormal investigator, conducted by Jaime Lannister at Harrenhal Castle, Crownlands, on November 19, 2014.

 **Tape no.** 1

 **Timestamp** : 17:13:08 - 17:19:55

**Note: Unused footage.**

START OF VIDEO.

_Brienne Tarth stands uncomfortably in front of the camera. She is looking past the lens, frowning._

**Jaime Lannister (offscreen)** : Just relax. Don't look at the camera, look at me.

 **Brienne Tarth:** This is ridiculous, Lannister. Your viewers don't care about me.

 ** **Lannister**  (O.S)**: Sure they do. If we're gonna spend four days holed up together, they're gonna want to know how you got here.

 **Tarth** : Well, forgive me if I don't want to bare my soul on your stupid show. You might steal it. 

 **Lannister (O.S.)** : I thought we agreed we weren't going to argue anymore. 

 ** **Tarth** :** _(sighs)_  Fine. But I swear to the gods, if you use this against me, I'll kill you myself.

 ** **Lannister**  (O.S)**: Okay, I won't. Here we go. Ms. Tarth, how did you get into paranormal research?

 ** **Tarth** :** I don't do paranormal research. I do scientific investigations of paranormal claims.

 ** **Lannister**  (O.S)**: Tomato, tomahto.

 ** **Tarth** :** _(glares at the off-screen camera operator)_ There's a big difference. Paranormal research, which is what _you_ do, takes for granted that paranormal phenomena exists. Ghosts, spoon benders, all that stuff. Skeptical scientific investigation is governed by the scientific method. We form a question, propose a hypothesis, experiment and observe, and reach a conclusion. More often than not, paranormal phenomena can be explained by natural phenomena. A photo of a ghost turns out to be lens flare, or a spoon bender is revealed to be a skilled magician. Occam's razor, in other words. The simplest solution is usually the correct one.

 ** **Lannister**  (O.S)**: But isn't it simpler to think that a ghost snuck into the photo than to explain how light has to hit a lens just so?

 ** **Tarth** :** Of course not. To believe in the existence of ghosts, you have to assume, first of all, that there's an afterlife. Then you have to assume that some people and not others are able to cross over into that afterlife. The selection process doesn't appear to have guidelines. Men, women, children, saints, war criminals, kings, peasants. They can all be left behind. And then for some reason, they decide to spend their eternal afterlives walking around banging doors and dragging chains.

 ** **Lannister**  (O.S)**: Well, they're trapped. What else are they going to do?

 ** **Tarth** :** Gods, they could help sweep the floor or something. They don't have to be so bloody useless. _(pause)_ Are you laughing at me? If you're gonna laugh, I'm not doing this.

_Tarth moves out of frame. She is immediately pushed back in front of the camera by Lannister, who is gripping her upper arms._

****Lannister** :** Okay, I’m sorry. The idea of a ghost vaccuuming is just really funny.

_Tarth frowns as Lannister lets go and leaves the frame again._

****Lannister**  (O.S.)**: Okay, now tell us what made you want to get into paranormal—

 ** **Tarth** :** Scientific investigation—

 ** **Lannister**  (O.S)**: —of paranormal claims. Right. How did you get interested in that field?

_Tarth takes a deep breath and drops her eyes to the ground. After a long pause, she talks._

****Tarth** :** When I was eight, my brother passed away. My mother was heartbroken and she became convinced that she could talk to him in the afterlife if she had the proper tools. She spent her fortune on mediums and séances and machines meant to pick up brain waves, just to get in touch with him. A few years later, she fell ill with cancer and that was a ticking bomb for her. She was afraid that if she didn't speak with Galladon and tell him she was leaving, he might be stuck here by himself. She wanted him to go with her to the other side when she died.

_Tarth pauses and looks up. Her eyes are filled with tears and her face is red._

****Tarth** :** She died when I was twelve and she never spoke with my brother. There were so many vultures around when she died, people anxious to sell her their services, but by that time she was broke and hopeless and broken. If she hadn't wasted so much energy trying to speak with Galladon, she might have lived.

 ** **Lannister**  (O.S)**: _(whispers)_ I'm so sorry, Brienne.

_Tarth smiles tentatively and wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket._

****Tarth** :** I decided I wasn't going to stand by while other people got tricked like my mother did.

_Tarth looks straight at the camera, her jaw set._

****Tarth** :** Which is why I'm going to prove to all of you that there is nothing in Harrenhal but creaky floors and dust.

_She looks up at the camera operator and smiles._

****Tarth** :** How was that?

 ** **Lannister**  (O.S)**: That was... good. Vaguely threatening. I think we're done. Thank you.

END OF VIDEO.


End file.
